Dinner for Three

Well, now that BBZ is a year old, I assume he can eat the same stuff as the rest of us. And he can for the most part, they just need to be in smaller pieces or when he shovels everything into his mouth it kind of "back fires" if you know what I mean.

So the other day, while I was preparing plates for dinner, I had to stop myself and do a double take.


I'm actually preparing dinner for three again. This time however, it's for two small people and me.

And when Daddy gets home next year, it will be for four. I wonder what the plates will look like then.


Added note: The boys did NOT finish everything on their plates but came pretty close to it.

His boots

Just like a real fireman, LMA knows how to wear the boots in the family.

Picture of the day

After each meal we have a rule that LMA helps clean up the table... or at least his dishes taken to the sink. He's even gone so far as to dump his leftover food in the trash for us as well.

The other day after dinner, after LMA had already cleaned up his area, I took my things to the sink and found this:


I didn't even know he could reach that far into the sink let alone carefully stack all those things.

Later he told me that he made a "mountain with his dishes".

He loves his books

Last week, for whatever reason, I decided to give LMA a book to read while in bed winding down for "quiet time". We started calling it "quiet time" several months ago when he started stating he wasn't tired for "nap time". I knew he still needed a nap because when he would eventually fall asleep I still have to wake him up at 4:30pm. There have been times when I fell asleep myself and he was still sleeping at 5pm.

Unfortunately, this plan has snowballed on me. Not only did he read the book that I gave him, but he also proceeded to get out of bed and retrieve more books to read. At some point he even turned on the light to read since his curtains were semi-closed.

When I went up to wake him up, this is what I found:




Notice the books stacked around his bed? At least he was quiet right? Which is why I didn't say anything. But I could tell he read his books for awhile because he didn't move once while I was taking pics and having the flash go off for 15 minutes.

And then, to really make you smile, he tried that again at night after we turned the lights off. That I did say something to him about.

I'm a Free fan

I had heard AmyBow talking about freecycle, but I didn't think I had the time to "exchange" items with people. Yea, free things are great, but you never know.

When Wenderina came to town for New Years, she brought up the freecycle website for this area and I joined. I've been hooked ever since. So far, I haven't collected much or offered much except maybe coupons and small baby clothes BBZ has already outgrown (saving the nicer ones to hopefully get money for them). But today, everything changed. Today, we got this:



When I replied to the offer ad, I was thinking it was a small 12-15 inches truck with maybe some sounds. This thing is 35 inches long, is as tall as LMA, and is motorized. With a switch if a lever you can make the ladder turn left or right, up or down, and make the truck go forward or backward. The only thing wrong? The cover for the batteries is missing and instead is replaced with a piece of cardboard and tape. Does LMA care? Nope, not one bit.

My son is a fan of firetrucks. Can you tell??

A neighborly visit

As LMA and I were enjoying our morning cartoons of Max & Ruby, something outside had caught the attention of both cats and the dog. Since the dog was really excited about it, I only assumed that it was another stray cat outside. So after I let her outside to scare away the vermin, I noticed this little guy...


Of course being he nature lover that I am and wanting that love to grow in LMA, we ventured outside to take a closer look at our new visitor. We usually get visitors like this from time to time, which is another reason why I love the location of our house (what I don't like is the number of bugs including horrendous spiders and lots of mosquitos).

While LMA was enjoying the morning air, I was taking pictures...



Did I mention I love my new camera?

Friendly or Just Freaky

After a little rainfall this evening, LMA and hubby headed outside to "just get out". I thought maybe there was enough water in the driveway to render the "shark boots" and go for a splashfest. Unfortunately, I was wrong but the cloud cover made for some great photos.

The last one though... hubby and I have our different opinions. I absolutely love the photo because of how LMA's eye just pop out at you. Hubby? Thinks he looks like satan trying to give you a poisoned pecan.

I'll let you be the judge.

Picture perfect

Every time I look at this boy of mine, I am totally amazed at what my husband and I have created. His personality is just incredible. He grows and learns something new every day. Yet, he's growing up way too fast. All this makes me wonder what our next little boy will be like.

These pictures were taken by a dear friend of mine who is part of Cooksey Keepsakes and Baby Face Picture Parties. Check them out on the web and see if there is a consultant in your neighborhood. I absolutely love how these turned out. It helps to have a great poser as well.

Missing Out

Since Little Man has been born, I've been keeping a monthly diary per se of little things he does on a daily basis. Little Moments, not necessarily all milestones, like the day he first said "Mama" and "Dada" to the day that he stood up in his crib by himself to the day he started saying "No" religiously. I thought I would stop after his first year, but two and a half years later I'm still keeping track.

Recently, LMA's vocabulary has been exploding. I blame it on the number of books we read to him. He loves going to the library and finding new books as well as picking up some of his favorites. He's pointed to a large American flag off of the highway before and stated that it was "a huge flag, Momma." He has recited "Green Eggs and Ham" while eating lunch, asking "Would you, could you on a train?" And when he's playing with his trucks in the dirt, he states that it's "stuck in the hole" (recited from "My Truck is Stuck" by Kevin Lewis).

But what he said today totally tops it all.

As we were sitting around playing with his Legos, out of the blue he stated, "Cheer up, Momma." I took a double look at my child. Then he said it again, "Cheer up, Momma. Here comes another train. A blue train."

I could do nothing but laugh when I realized he was reciting, "The Little Blue Engine that Could".

And to think I would be missing these little moments if I wasn't home with him.

A new tool

This pregnancy must be really inspiring me. Either that or it's making me realize that I only have 8 more months to get caught up on Little Man's scrapbooking pages.

In the past couple of weeks, I've managed to complete several different projects including a few pages for Little Man's album. Deadlines usually do that to me. And let me tell you. This is a good thing.

The other thing that has inspired me to get more layouts done are quick collages from Scrapbooks Etc.. Not only can you use these to just drop elements into each square, you could use them as a guide if you need to know what to place a particular element. Rotate it 90 or 180 degrees and you have a completely different look. I've used them as a quick way to make a digital layout. Add a few lines of text for journaling, a title, drop in a transparency squiggle frame, and Voila!


Another layout for Little Man's Little Moments album.

Although I do have to admit, it took me over an hour just to be able to figure out HOW to drop the photos in and delete the portions of the photos that were overlapping, but I still figured it out.

Finally. Another project complete

Little Man A just turned two years old... 2 months ago. During his first year, every month I took a picture of him with a teddy bear that a good friend gave him. I loved to watch him grow compared to the teddy bear and he always managed to make the cutest expressions. Sometimes, it took over 24 shots to get it right, but that's what digital photography is for.

I used to have all twelve photos displayed on a shelf in our living room, but I wanted to display others. I decided to make a large collage of the photos and make it scrapbook-y as well.

Although the project really only took just over an hour to complete, for some reason I just kept putting it off. I finally finished it Saturday!


Now I just need to finish his first year album and I'll be all caught up... somewhat.

A Day of Hearts

Made with love by Little Man A

Playing doctor

For some reason I didn't think he was old enough or had the imagination to use this doctor set yet. Proved me wrong, huh?

Happy Birthday, baby!

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday dear Little Man,
Happy Birthday to You!


Happy 2nd Birthday Little Man!



P.S. Thanks to Uncle Carl for some great portraits! (psst - TRUCKS!)

Reality sets in

I can't believe in less than 5 days my baby will be two years old. Where has this past year gone?? It seems like just last week we were having his first birthday party. Now we get to do it all over again.


This year, no surprise, is going to be about trains.

A new perspective

Although I've had similar circumstances lately with Little Man A, sometimes I just can't find the right words to express how I'm feeling. I thought Elsa Fluss, an IT Support Coordinator and a MOPS mom, did a pretty good job of getting to the point, especially with the holiday season upon us now.



A Child's Perspective

"This morning we woke up to our first snow of the year. A thin blanket of white covered the strawberry plant outside the living room window. When we got downstairs for breakfast, my daughters were so enthralled and surprised by the snow that they didn’t immediately run into the kitchen to help me pour their cereal. I stopped for a moment to remember that when life gives me lemons, my daughters are sweet enough to turn it into lemonade.

A few months ago, my car broke as I was driving to the daycare to pick up my daughters. As the shimmying and shaking grew worse, I grew more concerned about how much it would cost to fix it and how we would get by with just one car while it was in the shop. I warned my girls about the car and told them we were going to go to the car shop instead of going home. When I started driving, they both squealed in joy and excitement, and my four-year-old called it a rollercoaster ride. This little bit of perspective helped calm my fears and reminded me to take a breath and relax.

The recent time change now means that it’s dark out when I get to the daycare in the evening. To me, this usually means that I have spent another day working inside, and that I haven’t seen the sun since my morning eastward commute. But to my daughters, it means that they get to see the moon during our drive home. They talk to the moon, comment on what shape it is, and strive to see it on their side of the car. Because of their ability to find joy in things as common as the moon, I am no longer annoyed that the days are so short and that I have to spend them inside. Instead, I am reminded that there is just as much beauty in the night sky as there is during the day.

This holiday season, I want to remember to search out the joy in mundane circumstances and find perspective within my fears."

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

10 Things I Learned over Thanksgiving weekend

1. Never travel the day before Thanksgiving. We decided to try our luck at driving at night. Apparently, so did the rest of Virginia, D.C., Delaware, New Jersey, and New York.

2. A reclined car seat is best to prevent baby wiplash. It was bumper to bumper traffic about 10 miles before crossing into Delaware, then stop and go in Delaware .... which is about the time that Little Man woke up.

3. No matter how far you travel, it's always worth it to spend time with family. Although it took us 6 hours to drive a trip that normally would take 4-1/2 hours, it was all worth it to see family.

4. Nothing like a little fresh air to get your juices flowing. Needless to say, Little Man wasn't having the sit around all day and watch football thing. So thankfully, we were able to go to the park across the street and the library.

5. When in doubt, say "TRUCK". You had to be there.

6. Leftovers are always better the second time around. Okay, so this one I already knew, but they are.

7. Toddlers will always find something to do, even if it means "bunking" down the stairs.

8. After Thanksgiving sales are not worth waking up at 4am. I could not believe some of the stops stores were pulling to bring people in. Our local mall was opening at midnight the day before Thanksgiving and Kohl's opened at 4am on Black Friday. I heard one store was offering an additional 10% off if you came in your pajamas. I say wait until Cyber Monday to do your shopping in your pajamas in the comfort of your home.

9. You definitely learn from your mistakes. For our return trip back we made sure to have more toys, more books, more imagination, and a reclined car seat. Little Man slept the entire way back home and managed to get back to sleep in a matter of minutes once back in his own bed. The pure miracle was him sleeping in until 8am!

10. You always have more to be thankful for than you think.

October in Review

The month of October started off with our trip to Disney World. We got Little Man excited about the trip by having him help pack his own toys. Not to mention we had to go to the airport and see lots of airplanes. I would have posted all the pictures individually, but there were way too many to highlight. I know I should have done a separate page just about Disney World. I made sure to make the more important images larger (clockwise from top left), like him debating on how to step onto the plane, sitting on the plane with a huge smile (he was such a good traveler), playing in the water fountains at the condo pool, our dinner at Planet Hollywood, picture with Tigger and Pooh, toting around his Thomas bag and backpack, first time swimming, and our meet with Mickey and Minnie. We had such a great time, we can't wait to go back again soon (next time it will be longer).


Is this kid not the cutest? He started wanting to wear his sunglasses more this month, especially daddy's. These blue sunglasses are infant/toddler glasses that just barely fit him thanks to his big head.


Since he's been born he's had a camera in his face and now he can actually pretend to be taking the pictures. Since our little Canon Elph finally died in September, we needed to buy a new one and this one got passed onto him. He loves walking around the house with the camera up to his face saying "Chee!!"


Once again, our local O.W.L. (Occaquan, Lorton, Woodbridge) Volunteer Fire Station had their Open House. This day, Little Man decided NOT to take a nap. Well, it was a good thing we had something to do to keep him occupied. He loved getting into the fire truck and ambulance and got him registered with the County in case he goes missing. We even made sure to get a picture of him standing in front of the jackets so we could compare from last year. Unfortunately, his tiredness shined through when we told him it was time to go.


We decided to try something local this year with a pumpkin patch and tried a local nursery that had moon bounce, slides, a wooden train and fire truck to climb on. Although there wasn't much to do besides those mentioned, Little Man had a great time climbing and running around. And we got to go home with a small pumpkin.


Since all of Little Man's teeth are in (except for his 4th year molars), we've really tried to make sure we are brushing his teeth twice daily. We've made it part of our morning and evening routine. This time, he thought it would be fun to brush mom's teeth while I brushed his. Whatever makes the job more fun.


Little Man has a love of trains. So much so he threw a huge temper tantrum when we took it away when he started throwing the track. Needless to say, we know how to push his buttons. He's gotten much better about not throwing his toys and loves to put the train track together every day.


Since Gramma and Pop-pop have left in September, Little Man has been constantly saying their names. When we walk by the spare bedroom, he'll knock on the door and say "Pop-pop?" He'll look up at the phone and say "Gram?" He'll see a big, yellow Penske truck drive by and yell, "Pop-pop!" I'm glad that he is starting to remember them and realize that they are very much a part of his life. At the same time, it makes me sad to say "Gramma and Pop-pop aren't here, baby." Maybe we'll be closer again some day soon.


The month ended with a fun Halloween. Mainly because Little Man is starting to realize and understand what's going on around him. He was completely fine with his costume (which was a relief considering it was too small) and loved to carry his little treat pale. By the end of the evening, we even had him saying, "treat please."



The month of October seemed to fly by. I can only imagine the joys and adventures we'll be experiencing in the month of November. I can't believe he'll be two years old next month. Stay tuned!

September in Review

Last month, now that I look back, is a total blur. Maybe because October is almost over, but also because Gramma and Pop-pop visited for a week and then we were off to Disney (that's for October's month in review)! Here's a few highlight photos.

The month started out with Labor Day weekend and our first trip to B&O Railroad in Baltimore. Little Man was in total awe when we pulled into the parking lot. Then when we actually walked into the building, he was in total disbelief. Needless to say, we've helped with his obsession of trains. I can hear him now at Trains Anonymous, "Hello. My name is Little Man A and I love trains."


The following weekend Little Man A got his first haircut. I was trying so hard to see if it would grow out into a surfer dude haircut, but alas it just wasn't full enough to manage that look. I of course was the paranoid mommy who was calling it a "trim" rather than a "cut", just in case that word would evoke images of mass killings. Anyways, he did great.


The next day was Kid's Fest at the B&O Railroad. So, since we purchased a membership, we headed back to Baltimore. This time we arrived as soon as they opened and kept Little Man going until he crashed. He ended up falling asleep on the train ride (right around noon - poor schedule baby) that showcases some of the older parts of the railway line. Afterwards, we had our lunch at a local park and continued on with the fun-filled day. We all had a great time.


Gramma and Pop-pop came to visit and just in time for Gramma's birthday weekend. Our first excursion was to the Air & Space Museum near Dulles Airport, but still part of the Smithsonian Institute. A large, open concept "hanger" building with lots of room for a running toddler, I think the best part of the museum has to be the observation tower. Pointed in the general direction of Dulles Airport, if you arrive in the morning, you can literally see plane after plane land in the runway. At one point, Little Man was sitting in the front of the tower and every minute there would be another plane coming in on each side.


Gramma and Pop-pop were able to join us in our Sunday tradition visit to IKEA for a late breakfast. It also happened to be Gramma's birthday!


After Little Man's afternoon siesta, we headed out to our second excursion. The Potomac Point Fall Harvest Festival. Although Gramma is not a wine drinker, and we arrived a little later than we had wanted, we still had a fun time. Both Little Man and I got to stomp grapes (purchased from a local grocery store) and ink our feet. We enjoyed decorating and eating a pumpkin-shaped sugar cookie, a wine tasting (while Little Man watched "Happy Feet" and played in the kiddy room) and later, a nice dinner out.


That night, we all enjoyed a birthday cupcake-cake that Gramma and Pop-pop made in the shape of a truck ... just for Little Man A. It's from a Wilton kit that when you configure the cupcake shapes can create a truck, a rocket, or a train. Gramma wanted to practice for Little Man's birthday. Little Man agreed, it was a good birthday cake!


Hubby was able to take off the rest of the week previous to us leaving for Orlando, so Monday we ventured into downtown D.C. We decided to drive into the Springfield station so we could take the Metro into D.C. rather than trying to find parking. Little Man was so excited to finally get on "a train" bound for somewhere. He held on tight, just like Daddy.


Our first stop was at the Pentagon to visit the new Pentagon Memorial. A lot of thought, time, and effort went into this beautiful memorial where we honor those we lost at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.


We ventured back onto the Metro to end up on the Mall around the corner from the Museum of Natural History. We stopped in the park first for a yummy lunch while Little Man chased after the pigeons on the ground. Inside, we were able to see the newly opened Sant Ocean Hall and of course, check out the Mammal Hall. Little Man loved looking and touching all the exhibits.


Surprise to say, Little Man actually kept going for another hour or so. We headed back to the metro before rush hour started (FYI if you catch the metro between 9:30 and 3pm, the rates are half the normal cost!) and Little Man passed out on the ride home. Thankfully, we took the long way home because as soon as we tried to transfer him into his car seat, he woke up. Thanks to the help of Gramma and Pop-pop, he was able to make it through the rest of the night without any major meltdown.


The next day, we began getting ready for our little vacation to Orlando. We purchase a timeshare at Sheraton Vistana Resort in 2006 right around the corner from Disney. I mean, if there we no trees between the condo and Disney, we could see Epcot. They are building a new condo, Sheraton Vistana Villages, a little further away, but still fairly close. For a rate we could not pass up, we stayed for 4 days, 3 nights and received two tickets to Disney, dinner at Planet Hollywood, and two AMC movie tickets that we can use anywhere. I was trying to get Little Man excited about the venture and also wanted to make sure he had plenty of toys (not like he wouldn't have anything to do there). So I brought out one of his backpacks and he helped fill it with his favorite trucks.



Granted I know it took me an entire month to get this post us, but I'll make sure to get October's month in review up next week. Make sure to check back for Disney pics, Lake Ridge Nursery Fall Festival pics, ad of course, Halloween. Have a good one!